Scott observed the dashing young man in the luxurious red suit and fur cape, hovering motionlessly in midair. His inky-black hair defied gravity, flailing in all directions despite the absence of wind, while oblong, elongated earrings graced his ears. The intensity of the man's blue eyes induced primal fear in champions who dared lock gazes with him.

Who the hell is this guy? Scott pondered, his suspicion rising. Even without Hastur's gaze, he sensed that the man was trouble.

Is he here because of Chaos Caller? God please, I don’t want another lunatic searching for me. Though the man exuded refinement and charisma, a disquieting aura surrounded him. Scott frowned at the unsettling thought.

“Buddy, should we leave? He seems like one of the people Ember warned us about,” Slim suggested mentally, recalling Ember's advice.

Zara hesitated but urged caution. “I don't think we should. Do you really want to draw attention in front of that guy?” she remarked, her gaze averted from the hovering champion.

Scott, however, remained fixated on the man in red, as did the newcomer. The two men locked gazes, neither willing to avert their eyes. A smile played on the dispassionate face of the young man, and in a flash, he materialized in front of Scott, towering over the half-human by several feet. Zara swallowed nervously, and Slim instinctively took a step back.

I didn't expect him to be this tall. He's even taller than the dragonkin, Slim thought, regaining his composure. Silence gripped the judgment gate, every champion's attention focused on Scott and the imposing stranger.

“I don't like those eyes of yours,” the man stated, folding his arms across his chest. “What sort of unholy being are you?”

The lesser god of inferno is now watching you! The God of inferno is now watching you! The God of inferno has stopped watching you! The lesser god of inferno has stopped watching you!

The young man opened his inventory before retrieving a hefty cigar. Placing it between his lips, he raised his index finger to the cigar's tip, and a cascade of crimson flames enveloped the filler. Drawing a deep puff, he exhaled the smoke onto Scott's mask, holding the cigar between his index and middle fingers as he took another step toward the masked man.

“Care for one?” he offered.

“I don't smoke,” Scott replied.

“Oh, you can talk. So, that was you ignoring me earlier.” The young man smiled, nodding. He then turned his attention to Slim and Zara, his gaze lingering a bit longer on the feline brawler. “Your companions, I presume. A being of unknown origins, a feline, and undead. Quite an unusual party. What should I call you?”

“I have no intention of telling you that. Focus on finding whoever you're searching for,” Scott retorted.

The man chuckled, taking another puff from his cigar. Once again, he exhaled the smoke in Scott's direction. “Normally, talking to me like that would get you killed.”

Scott interjected, “Then why am I still alive? Are you afraid of those judges?” He nodded toward the imposing figures.

The man laughed again, shaking his head. “Even if there were a million of them here, it wouldn't be enough to make me flinch. I need no more than five minutes to eliminate them and everyone else here.” He paused, taking another step closer. “I'm facing quite a dilemma. A plague has taken root in my mind, urging me to seek out something, or someone.” The handsome man stopped a few inches away from Scott, exhaling another puff of smoke toward the masked man. “Do you know how annoying it is for you...” Suddenly, he paused; a system window appeared in front of him. His brows tensed for a moment, and a dashing smile bloomed on his lips. He stared at Scott more intently, chuckling ever so slightly. “This is quite interesting. I just received an intriguing offer. How did you anger the Dragon King?”

Scott raised his brows, recalling the system message about the dragon princes and king hating him. “I don't know what you're talking about,” Scott replied, a sense of unease settling in.

All this wouldn't have happened if not for that damned title, he thought.

Dragon Prince Ozani calls you a liar! Dragon Prince Nerko calls you a liar! Dragon King Darit calls you a shameless liar! The lesser god of illusions believes you and tries to defend you! The lesser god of illusion is being besieged by the Dragon Princes and King! The lesser god of illusions says they won’t interfere in family matters anymore!

The man chuckled, shaking his head at Scott's words. “Indeed, a shameless liar,” he remarked, now standing shoulder to shoulder with Scott. His movement had gone unnoticed, leaving Scott bewildered about when he arrived.

“If you are who I think you are, then we'll meet again soon. Hopefully, you'll be much stronger than you are now.” With a friendly pat on Scott's shoulder, the man turned his attention to the floating system window. “The offer is quite tempting, but I don't want anything to do with the dragon princess anytime soon. She's more annoying to deal with than that caveman.” With a click on the system panel, the offer vanished.

Scott, intrigued, leaned forward. “Wait, did you just say caveman?”

He reached out towards the man, but the champion skillfully evaded his touch, reappearing in front of the masked knight. “Don't do that. Entertaining your existence doesn't give you the right to touch me.”

As tension heightened, the surrounding temperature intensified, causing several champions to drop to their knees, struggling for breath. The once-motionless judges turned their attention to the source of the heat, their grips tightening around their forks.

Warning! Attacking another champion will be considered as disturbing the peace of the judgment gate! Any further infractions will be met with the full might of the Judges of Light!

The man gave the system message a fleeting glance before shifting his attention to the judges, and instantly, the oppressive heat dissipated. Sweaty champions breathed sighs of relief, anxious that the enigmatic man might provoke the wrath of the faceless officers. Many of them had endured harrowing experiences escaping the judges on the judgment road and wished to avoid a recurrence of that nightmarish ordeal.

“I don't know what your quarrel is with the leader of the Celestial Blades, but I strongly advise against a repeat performance. Consider yourself fortunate; I'm not one to forgive a transgressor twice,” the man cautioned, his voice carrying a weight of authority.

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Undeterred, Scott inquired, “Do you know the identity of the caveman?” He paid little heed to the man's previous warning, undaunted by the apparent discrepancy in their capabilities.

“You're quite audacious, aren't you?” The man chuckled, taking another drag from his cigar. “That information is not readily available, and I doubt anyone would be willing to share it with you. I don't know your dealings with them, assuming you have any, but I strongly advise against biting off more than you can chew. The Celestial Blades is beyond your reach, at least in your current state.”

Discarding the cigar in a nonchalant manner, he added, “I've grown weary of this conversation. I feel like I'd grow weaker with each passing moment here. Farewell.”

With a casual nod, the man acknowledged Scott before strolling past him. This time, the masked man made no attempt to summon him back.

“You lot have ten seconds to clear the road,” the man suddenly announced, staring at the champions standing in between him and the opened gate.

Several champions hastily removed themselves from his path, but a few lingered, angered by the man’s haughty and dismissive tone. Several cyclops, lizardmen, and humans remained in their position: staring defiantly at the man in red. Although he wielded significant power, they believed he could do nothing against the rules of the judgment gate.

“You have made your choice then,” the man said as he nonchalantly took a step forward.

An immeasurable hostility has been detected! You will be purged!

The judges sprinted toward the dashing man. However, on his third step, every being in a straight line to his standing position swelled tenfold their usual size. An unquenchable heat originated from the swollen bodies. A pop echoed, and a series of explosions followed. Shredded armor, mangled flesh, and broken bones flew in all directions as a torrent of blood rained on the surrounding champions. A massive golden puddle replaced the judges of light.

Silence enveloped the area, and only the gentle footsteps of the towering man could be heard amidst the quiet. Several champions subconsciously retreated, many stumbling on the ground as the sweet coppery stench of fresh blood pervaded the air.

The man in red silently disappeared, yet the champions remained in the same position, their attention still focused on the destruction left behind by the eccentric man.

“Buddy, why is it that all the troublesome people seem to find you?” Slim muttered in a daze.

Scott glanced at the necromancer before taking a confident step forward. His voice resonated through the silence, “As I was saying, if you're interested in our exclusive information, you can acquire it using elemental shards only, regardless of their type.”

All eyes turned toward the masked man; they couldn't fathom how he could act nonchalantly in the wake of the devastation left behind by the man in red. Slim and Zara exchanged glances, each sporting a wry smile.

“Are we going to keep encountering stranger people if we stick around with him?” Slim mused mentally.

“Do you really need me to answer something so obvious?” Zara responded, sighing softly.

The duo chuckled, then walked toward Scott, positioning themselves on either side of the masked knight.

Meanwhile, various groups debated Scott's proposal through their party channels. Initially expecting the masked man to demand something outrageous, they were surprised that he sought elemental shards, something seemingly mundane and borderline useless. However, some believed this request hinted at the innocuous items playing a crucial role in the next trial.

“How can we verify the authenticity of your information? For all we know, you could be fabricating things to swindle us of our items,” Anslem remarked, arms folded across his chest.

All attention shifted to the redhead, many nodding in agreement with his skepticism.

“He's right; there's no way to ascertain the authenticity of your exclusive information,” one man remarked.

“That you're even inquiring about elemental shards indicates the trial's connection to them,” another man deduced.

“I had the same thought, but what if it's not?” a lizardman proposed.

Amidst the champions' deliberation, a stunning beauty and her companions approached the hound extermination crew.

“How many elemental shards do you need? We're prepared to pay,” Lorie inquired, her gaze shifting between Slim, Zara, and Scott.

The lesser god of illusions whisper from their hiding location you should ask for 10! The lesser god of illusions says to amass as many elemental shards as possible! The lesser god of illusions is fleeing from the dragon race again!

Scott stifled the urge to burst into laughter, maintaining a composed facade. “Ten pieces,” he declared.

Lorie furrowed her brow briefly, then delved into her inventory. In the blink of an eye, ten crystals with sleek surfaces resembling fiery magma materialized in her hand. She cautiously extended her arm, presenting the crystals to Slim, consciously avoiding any proximity to Scott.

“The price has been paid. Now, let's hear it,” Lorie remarked, a smile playing on her lips.

A group of keen observers fixated on the unfolding exchange, eager to witness the dynamics between the two groups. However, both Scott's party and Lorie's remained silent, with only the subtle glint in the beautiful woman's eyes revealing the covert exchange of information between the two factions.

A moment later, Lorie and her companions withdrew from the area, hurrying towards a secluded corner to scrutinize the map with renewed determination.

“Do you think he was telling the truth?” a lizardman asked, glancing around nervously.

Another group, comprised mostly of non-humans, approached the hound extermination crew. Like the ladies before them, they handed over ten magma elemental crystals to Slim, and without uttering a word, they moved to another location to study the map intently.

“Is it possible that he possesses crucial information?” a man wondered, unable to conceal his anxiety.

“I'm willing to find out,” Anslem declared boldly. “I'll determine if it's a scam or not,” he added as his group approached Scott's.

They halted in front of the peculiar assembly, and Anslem produced ten snow-white elemental shards. “Here's what you asked for. Now, share the exclusive information.”

Scott casually glanced at the elemental shards before addressing Anslem. “Your price is 100.”

“Why is mine different?” Anslem asked, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the masked man.

“Move along if you can't pay. I don't have time to waste on you,” Scott retorted before turning to the onlookers. “From now on, the price will increase by one after each group, and we'll only be here for thirty more minutes.”

Several champions exchanged glances. No one knew who moved first, but several groups sprinted toward the masked man, each hoping to be the first.

“Are there options for those lacking elemental shards? Can we offer something of comparable worth?” inquired a masked man.

“Unfortunately, I'm solely interested in...” Scott was interrupted as a hand landed on his shoulder, and a system message promptly appeared.

You have found the Tower Trader!

“Exciting news, everyone. You can now exchange your items for elemental shards,” he declared. The tower trader's announcement echoed through the crowd, delivering a promise of excitement. At that same moment, the trader’s whisper filled Scott's ears. “My friend, I owe you for the immense profit heading my way. Can I assume you've memorized the map?”

Scott affirmed with a nod, prompting the trader to burst into laughter while giving him a hearty pat on the back. “Fantastic! I wish you the best of luck in the next trial.” With that, the trader vanished in a flash.

Meanwhile, the mysterious figure had concluded transactions with the eager champions. The group formed a line, patiently awaiting their turn to glean information from the group. Thirty minutes slipped by, with each group willing to pay for the vital details. Over half of the champions sat on the ground, engrossed in studying the map, while the remainder lingered nearby—some in hopes of a discounted rate.

“Time to move, guys,” Scott announced via the party channel.

“Yeah, I was getting bored of this place,” Slim chimed in with a yawn.

“Will they attempt to sell the information once we depart?” Zara inquired, her gaze fixed on Anslem's group, who returned their glares.

“We've already profited handsomely from them. What they do now is inconsequential,” Scott asserted. “Are you all set?”

“Yes, I'm eager to witness the true size of that city. Let's go,” Zara responded with a smile, and Slim conveyed his agreement with a subtle nod.

The trio proceeded in silence as they approached the gate in measured steps. Inhaling deeply, they swiftly dashed through the open space, disappearing from the view of the onlookers. Another resonant gong reverberated, and the golden pool writhed, twisted, and churned until the judges reassembled. Then, a figure standing on floating discs slowly descended from the skies.